"The fourth lesson is that popular policies do not automatically produce a popular governor."
Well, certainly not for a promising Democrat leader in Virginia. Her polling is low due to the very effective Republican propaganda machine that ramped up considerably under the threat of an appealing, effective, and moderate Democrat as governor. It's truly remarkable how much false and misleading information has been rained upon the populace since she took office, beginning with a long list of "her" supposed tax increases (as though the governor makes law and as though all legislator-proposed increases were to be passed) and continuing through the anti-redistricting campaign's one-sided list of single-party-represented states. Your average conservative Virginian now erroneously believes Spanberger has raised taxes left and right (and that Democrats hold a federal advantage in state representation). Her problem is the Virginia Democratic Party's problem - the lack of an effective equal and opposite force to the potent, widespread Republican propaganda machine.
Great article! According to most reports, the Virginia State Government is second only to the US Government in terms of the number of employees in the Commonwealth. With the exception of the public service work of Secretaries Marvin Figueroa, Jessica Looman, David Wilkerson, and perhaps Stanley Meador, there are no cabinet members with executive or CEO experience of scale. And none of these has worked at the executive level in business and industry.
I suggest that there is a seventh lesson: Running the Commonwealth requires more than government, policy, legal, or nonprofit leadership. For Governor Spanberger to live up to her tremendous potential and abilities as well as future promise, an exceptional business and industry CEO should be by her side during her next years in office.
"The fourth lesson is that popular policies do not automatically produce a popular governor."
Well, certainly not for a promising Democrat leader in Virginia. Her polling is low due to the very effective Republican propaganda machine that ramped up considerably under the threat of an appealing, effective, and moderate Democrat as governor. It's truly remarkable how much false and misleading information has been rained upon the populace since she took office, beginning with a long list of "her" supposed tax increases (as though the governor makes law and as though all legislator-proposed increases were to be passed) and continuing through the anti-redistricting campaign's one-sided list of single-party-represented states. Your average conservative Virginian now erroneously believes Spanberger has raised taxes left and right (and that Democrats hold a federal advantage in state representation). Her problem is the Virginia Democratic Party's problem - the lack of an effective equal and opposite force to the potent, widespread Republican propaganda machine.
Great article! According to most reports, the Virginia State Government is second only to the US Government in terms of the number of employees in the Commonwealth. With the exception of the public service work of Secretaries Marvin Figueroa, Jessica Looman, David Wilkerson, and perhaps Stanley Meador, there are no cabinet members with executive or CEO experience of scale. And none of these has worked at the executive level in business and industry.
I suggest that there is a seventh lesson: Running the Commonwealth requires more than government, policy, legal, or nonprofit leadership. For Governor Spanberger to live up to her tremendous potential and abilities as well as future promise, an exceptional business and industry CEO should be by her side during her next years in office.
I couldn't agree more with your last sentence.